Combined gunstock boot and cheek pad



y 1954 J. A. STEWART 0 comsmmn cuus'rox BOOT AND cmazx PAD Filed March29, 1950 2 FIG. 4

QX EXX XXXKX /3 8 3 I INVENTOR.

JOHN A. STEWART BY A 7/ ATT RNEYS Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE COMBINED GUNSTOCK BOOT AND CHEEK PAD 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a check rest for gun stocks and, inparticular, to a cheek rest which is an integral part of a boot for gunstocks. As a preferred modification, the present cheek rest isincorporated in a rubber gun boot of the type shown in my prior PatentNo. 2,468,349, and which is formed by a clipping process.

Cheek rests are of material assistance in the accurate aiming of a gun,since they provide a lateral extension by which the gun stock may behugged to hold it steady. Any stock may be, and usually is, gripped bythe cheek in aiming, but when no cheek rest is provided, the cheekcontact is only near the top of the stock and there is a naturaltendency to turn the gun about its longitudinal axis in order to bringthe cheek squarely on the stock. The cheek rest comprises a prominenceon the stock which extends considerably from the base surface of thestock, near the lower part of the stock, and only very slightly, if atall, near the top of the stock, so that a large area of the cheek may beengaged without having to turn the gun about its axis.

Heretofore, cheek pads have been provided in various ways. For instance,it may be formed as an integral part of the wooden stock. In anotherform, a leather boot, comprising a cushioning element, has been lacedonto the stock. In the first case, anyone desiring a cheek rest featureon an existing gun would have to replace his gun stock. This is soexpensive as to be prohibitive and the cheek rest has no cushioningfeatures. The boot or sleeve types are generally insecure, haveuncomfortable surface features, and do not afford a constancy oflocation of the parts which is essential to improving marksmanshipthrough familiarity with a particular gun.

In my aforesaid prior patent, I have shown a rubber boot formed in adipping process, which is slipped over the stock of a gun and engagesthe stock in av close embrace with the boot under slight tension so thatit remains securely in place. By the present invention, I provide acheek pad which is formed on such a boot so as to to be, in effect, anintegral part thereof, with a cushioning element securely andpermanently lodged in proper location on the boot.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improvedcheek pad for a gun stock. A further object is to provide a cheek padwhich is an integral part of a gun-protecting, rubber boot, and. amethod of making the same. In particular, it is an object to provide acushionins cheek pad snugly and permanently secured between successivelyformed layers of rubber in a gun stock boot. More particularly, it is anobject to provide a combined boot and cheek rest for a gun stock whereina resilient pad is completely contained in sealed relation in a cavityin a Wall of a gun stock boot.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thespecification to follow, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a boot having a cheekpad, and showing a gun stock in broken lines,

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the cheek pad prior to its attachmentto a partly formed boot.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown arubber boot I, having a wall thickness which tapers toward the open end2 of the boot. The boot conforms generally to the form of a gun stock 3over which it is received, and at its rearward endis shaped to receive asponge rubber recoil pad 4 of generallyrectangular cross-section. Therear portion 6 ofthe boot is of slightly greater wall thickness than thebalance of the boot, and terminates along a diagonal line I. Thisfeature gives added rigidity to the part containing the cushion 4 andfurther serves for ornamentation and to render the article distinctivein appearance. For this purpose the portion 6 may be colored differentlyfrom the remainder of the boot.

A pocket 8, entirely integral with the boot I on one side thereof,completely confines a sponge rubber pad 9, with which its inner wallsare in close contact throughout.

It will be noted (Fig. 2), that the pocket 8 tapers outwardly from theboot proper I, in a downward direction, so that its maximum depth is onthe lower half and its upper portion presents a surface which slantswith respect to a vertical, longitudinal plane through the center of theboot. This configuration of the pocket permits extensive contact withthe face of the user, while the latters head is tilted in the mannernecessary to bring the eye into the line of the gun sights, and the firmcontact of the face obviates any turning of the gun stock about the axisof the gun.

The relationships among the various parts of the boot are best describedby reciting the steps by which the boot is made.

In the first operation, a form in the shape of a gun stock, preferablyof glazed porcelain, is dipped into a suitable supply of rubber inliquid form, which may contain filler ingredients and vulcanizationagents, to produce an initial layer of rubber In (Fig. 4). This layer ispreferably of the order of 0.020 inch in thickness and the layer may betapered in thickness, as aforesaid, by suspending the coated form withits butt end downwardly while-the rubber is still capable of flowing.

The sponge rubber pad 9 is separately coated in a dipping step so thatthe pad is entirely or substantially covered with a coating II. Thiscoat is also preferably about 0.020 inch in thickness.

With layer In still on the dippingform, the coated pad 9 is attached tobootlayer In, as by any suitable rubber cement. The degree of adhesionrequired is only such as will hold the padin place until the succeedingcoat of rubber has been applied.

With the pad attached, the boot is: again dipped in the coatingsubstance. and a second layer of a thickness about the same as initial:layer I is applied over the latter to produce a boot wall I2 about 0.040inch in thickness. In: this step, an outer coating I3 is. simultaneouslyapplied. over that. portion of. coating H that is notcemented to theboot, thereby hermetically sealing the pad 9 in place and securing itpermanently in. position.

The thicker, rear portion. 6, if employed, is, attained by a further.dipping, action, to add stock 0.020 inch in. thickness,. with. a.resultant. total thickness of 0.060 inch in the butt portion.

It will be seen that there. has thus been provided a unitary gun stock.boot. that not only provides all the useful features of the boot of myaforesaid prior patent, but which, in. addition, includes a cheek padwhich is permanently built into the wall of the boot andis. thereforesecurely lodged in desired position. and protected against damage anddeterioration.

The separate coating of the inner pad. 9 is an extra insurance for thehermetic sealing, thereof and also provides for a wall thickness which,in the final form of the boot, has the desired strength at all points ofthe pad to a degree equivalent to that of the boot proper.

Whereas the process has been described as rubber dipping, it is possibleto achieve the coating steps by other means, such as by spraying or byelectro-deposition.

While a certain preferred form of the invention has been shown anddescribed, various changes therefrom are possible without involvingdeparture from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined gun stock boot and cheek pad comprising an outer integralenvelope of rubber-like material, one side of said envelope beingdivided into spaced walls, and a cushioning pad hermetically sealed inthe space between said walls.

2. A combined gun stock boot and cheek pad comprising anintegral-envelope of rubber-like material, one side of said envelopebeing divided into spaced inner and outer walls, and a cushioning pad inthe space between said walls, said outer wall constituting means forhermetically sealing said pad to said envelope.

3. A combined gun stock boot and cheek pad comprising an integralenvelope of rubber-like material constitutinga gun stock boot and havinga pocket on at least one side of said envelope, a cushioned cheek padcarried in said pocket, and an outer wall for said pocket, said outerwall being formed of the same material as said envelope and beingintegrally united with said envelope in a manner to hermetically sealsaid pad insaid pocket.

References Cited in. the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 2,188,691 Rigandi Jan. 30, 1940- 2,283,238 Thompson May19, 1942 2,313,792 Winder Mar. 16, 1943 2,330,330 Beal et al. Sept. 28,1943 2,451,473 Cooper Oct. 19, 1948 2,468,349 Stewart Apr. 25, 1-949

